Taking the western approach we cross the caldera of Shira Volcano, traversing beneath the southern icefields of Kibo, Kilimanjaro's highest volcano. We have eight days on Africa’s highest mountain, which means plenty of time for acclimatisation and soaking up the ever changing scenery. This is one of the least trekked routes allowing us to savour the immense and wild Shira Plateau. This itinerary gives you an excellent chance of reaching the summit: approximately 96% of people trekking the Lemosho route with Exodus stand on the roof of Africa.

Highlights

A fantastic eight-day route, carefully designed to maximise time in remote wilderness

Extra day to aid acclimatisation

To stand on top of the largest freestanding mountain in the world - Kilimanjaro

Responsible Travel

At Exodus we believe in the power of Responsible Travel.

Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 2

There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring with you your passport and insurance details, and your air ticket details. The briefing will cover all aspects of your trip and will include the distribution of any hired equipment you have booked.Comfortable Hotel

Meals included:
Dinner

Day 3

In the morning we transfer to Londorossi (2250 m), passing between the slopes of Kilimanjaro and the horseshoe-shaped volcanic crater of Mt. Meru (a distance of about 120 km). After completing the necessary registration formalities, we drive on for a short distance through farmland and plantations to reach the Lemosho roadhead. The last 5 km of the road to the park gate is of poor quality, particularly after rain, and the drive there should be considered part of the adventure. We often have our lunch in the glades before starting to walk. It is an easy day of walking up a small path through beautiful and lush forest, this area has a variety of game including buffalo. We camp at Lemosho Forest camp (2650 m). Approx 3-4 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 4

The trail starts out in the lush rich montane forest before ascending into the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with views across the plains opening out as we reach the rim of the Shira Plateau. There is a tangible sense of wilderness especially if the afternoon mists come in. We camp in the centre of the plateau at Shira One (3550 m). Approx 6-7 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 5

A day to help acclimatisation and to explore the grassy moorland and the volcanic rock formations of the plateau. We walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral, a huge buttress of rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. The views from our camp near Shira Hut (3840m) of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable. The afternoon is free to relax. Approx 4-5 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 6

A morning of gentle ascent and panoramic views, walking on lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western Breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4550m), we descend to the bottom of the Great Barranco valley (3900m), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below. Approx 5-7 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 7

A short steep climb up the famed Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the southern icefields. The terrain changes to volcanic scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and a powerful sense of mountain wilderness. Our next camp is at Karanga (4000m) a short distance away. The valley floor has the last water point on the approach to Barafu and we camp on the higher sides of the valley with views towards the glaciers of the southern icefields. Approx 4-5 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 8

The trail follows a path on compacted scree with wide views ahead including the Barafu Ridge where our camp lies. The trail climbs unrelentingly to reach the Barafu campsite (4600m) for lunch, after which there is a short acclimatisation walk to the plateau at the bottom of the southeast valley (4800m). The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent and includes a very early night. Approx 3-5 hours walking.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 9

We will start our ascent by torchlight around midnight so that we can be up on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zigzags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (5735m), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshments we continue to descend to reach our final campsite (3800m) at Millenium camp. Most of us will be too tired to notice the beauty of the forest surrounding the crowded campsite. This is an extremely long and hard day with between 11 and 15 hours of walking at high altitude.Full-service Camping

Meals included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Day 10

This day is a sustained descent on a well-constructed path through lovely tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the national park gate at Mweka (1650m); and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village. The shower, the beer, and the swimming pool are tantalisingly close! We return by bus to Arusha (a distance of about 100 km). Approx 4-6 hours walking.Comfortable Hotel

Day 12

Essential Info

Visas

Most nationalities require a tourist visa for Tanzania, including British nationals, most EC nationals, Australians, New Zealanders, Americans and Canadians. The visa is available at the border and the cost for British and most other European Nationals is US$50 cash, whilst for US citizens it is US$100 cash.

Vaccinations

Tanzania

Please note that although Tanzania does not officially require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination, at most airports and other points of entry you may be required to show a certificate of vaccination or an exemption certificate. This includes coming from Europe via, or transiting through an endemic country including the airports of Nairobi (Kenya) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). If visiting Zanzibar from mainland Tanzania border officials have been known to demand proof of Yellow Fever vaccination or an exemption certificate.

Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Malaria prophylaxis is essential and we suggest that you seek advice from your GP or travel health clinic about which malaria tablets to take. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Eating and Drinking

In the itinerary we state which meals are included on which day. On trek the emphasis is on a varied and well balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.

Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note that in Tanzania the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home. You may find it beneficial to bring some 'summit snacks' with you from home; summit day is a long trekking day and high energy snacks are not readily available locally in Tanzania.

All meals during the climb are included. Please allow about GBP20-30 (USD30-50) for the two lunches (day 1 and 10) not included. Water Whilst the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking you may wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water purification tablets. The EU banned iodine to be used to purify water on 25 Oct 2009. The cheapest alternative is to use chlorine tablets. The major difference is chlorine doesn't eliminate giardia. Biox Aqua drops or tablets are the best available alternative for sale in the UK as they kill giardia and crytosporidium.

Weather

Although Tanzania lies in the tropics, the temperature depends more on altitude than on season. Northern Tanzania has temperatures ranging from 16ºC to 23ºC in August, rising to 18ºC to 28ºC in February. The 'long rains', during which we do not operate trips, occur from late March to May, and there are intermittent 'short rains' in November and December, though the latter have no great effect on mountain climbs. Kilimanjaro can be climbed at any time of the year but it is usually very wet in the rain forest in April and May. January and February are the warmest months. Above the cloud line the days are warm and pleasant, with temperatures in sunlight often above 20ºC, but the nights can get very cold. It is possible for temperatures to get as low as -20ºC at Barafu campsite, our highest overnight stop. The daily weather pattern on the mountain tends to be clear mornings with an afternoon cloud build-up that often clears before sunset. In the (European) summer, the weather is usually cloudy at lower altitudes and often sunny above 3,500 m. Please note that mountain weather conditions are never totally predictable and we may meet wet and snowy conditions at any time.

Is this trip for you?

Grade 6 . The summit attempt is graded 7 / tough because of the high altitude and the level of physical effort needed. Please be aware many clients find the summit day on Kilimanjaro the toughest physical challenge of their life. The rest of the trek is graded as 5- challenging more as a consequence of the high altitude and extended wilderness camping than the difficulty of walking; hence the overall grading of this trek as challenging/tough. We strongly recommend that you thoroughly read the Exodus grading system as outlined in the Walking & Trekking Brochure before booking this trip.

Walking Conditions This is a long and hard trek, which reaches an altitude of 5895m. Even if you consider yourself fit, you might still find the climb very hard, depending on how well your body acclimatises to high altitude. There is no scientific way to determine how easily you acclimatise, and be aware that the acclimatisation process also can differ from climb to climb. Most of the trails on the Kilimanjaro trek are well defined and of good quality but some forest sections are often slippery and moorland paths can be very wet in poor weather conditions. The final ascent to Uhuru peak is almost exclusively on scree and loose rock without permanent footpaths but no technical skills are required. During the course of the trip we shall spend time at both high and low altitude, experiencing both extremely cold and quite hot conditions. You should be prepared for an early start every day on Kilimanjaro.

Accommodation

Hotels & Camping

You will spend 2 nights in comfortable hotels with en suite facilities. During the climb you will have 7 nights of full-service camping, with a private toilet tent. Limited single accommodation is available and includes a single tent as well as the hotel nights. We can arrange extra accommodation before or after the trip.

Reviews

Kilimanjaro Climb- Lemosho Route

The whole trip has been incredible, very well organised and everything has been thought off. The climb was amazing, beautiful scenery and wonderful people. Easily the hardest physical challenge of our lives to date but also the most enjoyable and rewarding. The crew were first class and we will never forget this wonderful experience for the rest of our lives. A real privilege and a life changer.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching Stella Point was incredible as we were getting to the stage where we were so physically tired that we were doubting whether we could make it, our wonderful guides gave us the support, encouragement, positivity and inspiration to get us to the top, allowing us to adopt the mind over matter approach and they were with us all the way. I can honestly say the crew have had a huge impact on us as people and they have inspired us as much as the climb of beautiful Kilimanjaro itself.

What did you think of your group leader?

I will be writing to Exodus separately from this review with a glowing and detailed letter of praise for the crew as I feel Justine was outstanding in his role as our group leader. He was thoroughly deserving of the award that he won and I would go further to say if there are any other awards in the world of mountain guiding on a national or international level I would not hesitate to nominate him. It was a real privilege to have met him and to have been guided up Kilimanjaro by him and as my family were on the trip with us I would like to say we felt so secure, safe and had complete trust and confidence in him. He was positive, encouraging, sensitive, thoughtful, very kind and was very well organised and thought of everything. To top this all off a great smile, personality and a brilliant sense of humour- a very inspirational man!
I would also like to point out that the entire team were first class. The other guides were also outstanding, I would like to point out that Mussa was a wonderful guide, also incredibly positive and supportive with also a lovely personality/sense of humour. We had complete trust in Mussa and he was so helpful and kind to us, again I will be writing to you to explain in detail. He would make an excellent tour leader too.
James aka King James was a fantastic guide who was very knowledgable, kind, helpful and again encouraging and supportive and kept giving us boosts of positivity. We were never rushed along,even though we were walking a slower pace to some of our fellow climbers. Again we had 100% trust in James and he would also make a brilliant lead guide.
It was an absolute pleasure to have 2 female guides, Anjela and Lucia who were both a pleasure to walk with. Again, both very supportive, kind and could not do enough for you. Both very smart and strong ladies who we had our trust in.
We feel so lucky to have had this team of 38 looking after us so well and we have so much praise and admiration for all the porters, cook etc. I cannot fault any of them, they were all brilliant. I will be mentioning a few of them in my letter.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

I would say if you are thinking about doing this challenge, just book it! You will not regret it and I doubt you would find any other trip where you are looked after so well, I read that they 'have your backs' before we went on our trip and I can honestly say it is true. Go for it.

Lemosho Eight Day Trek

Excellent. If you want to get to the top of Kilimanjaro and stand in awe on 'The Roof of Africa' which is surely why you are considering this trip, the eight day Lemosho Route is the trek for you. It's the right length, with three days or more of going higher but sleeping lower and it will give you the best chance of making a successful summit bid.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

All six of our group making the summit after being together for eight days, that incredible sense of satisfaction that comes from doing something that is not easy, that takes something from you, but gives you so much more back and the fulfilment of a long held ambition.

What did you think of your group leader?

Joshua Mlay is an inspiration and his success rate in getting people to the top tells you all you need to know.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Keep your eye on the prize, eat, sleep, walk, repeat until there is nowhere higher to walk to on the whole great continent of Africa! and Good Luck!

Kilimanjaro - Lemosho route

This is one of those experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life!
To stand on top of the worlds highest freestanding mountain and know that you did it on your own steam is a fantastic feeling.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

waking up in the morning , opening the tent flap and watching the sunrise and the clouds far below you

What did you think of your group leader?

I want to thank our chief guide , Mekeke. and the other guides for all of their help over the trip. Without their experience, humour, knowledge and encouragement we would not have all made it to the top.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

If you are of average fitness, and you want to, you can do this, and you wont regret it!
It,s easy for me to preach now that I have done it , but I was concerned that i wasnt fit enough, or I was going to suffer from altitude sickness , but there was only one way I was going to find out.
do plenty of walking beforehand, follow the packing lists on this site , and trust your guides to look after you !

Is there anything else you would like to add?

just again my thanks to exodus, the African walking company ,and the guides , the cook and the porters for their organisation, communication and hard work to make this an experience of a lifetime!

Mount Kilimanjaro

Superbly organised and our guides / porters were the best!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Reaching the summit, against all the odds.

What did you think of your group leader?

Our group leader, Makeke, went above and beyond to make sure that I reached my ambition. He's an excellent asset for Exodus and I wouldn't have made it to the top without him. A true professional who takes real pride in his job and simply looks after everyone in his care.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

This is a tough, indeed gruelling physical challenge but well worth it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Overall, I was very impressed with Exodus and The African Walking Company.

The Best Kili Experience

I couldn't have asked for a better Kilimanjaro experience than what I had with Exodus. The guides and rest of staff were incredibly knowledgable and attentive, the Lemosho route was beautiful and varied in its scenery and summit night - though mentally and physically taxing - was an incredibly fulfilling experience.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Summiting the mountain was obviously very inspirational but I also thoroughly loved the Shira Cathedral and the Branco Wall climb.

What did you think of your group leader?

My group leader John Maeda was a really big reason the experience was so great. He was so knowledgeable and switched on and was loved by everyone in the group.

Pole Pole

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Obviously the summit for those who reach it, otherwise the imposing Barranco Wall.

What did you think of your group leader?

Abraham from the Africa Walking Company is a gifted and strong leader, managing as he does 57 guides and porters not to mention 14 walkers. The sheer logistics of getting all of us up the mountain at the same time with no hitches would make me dizzy! The guides were watching us all the time and checking our condition, giving advice and generally keeping us going. We were also extremely well fed and lacked nothing to eat or drink, the chef and porters were all fantastic.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take Exodus` notes seriously and be well prepared. The whole point of this trip is to get you up Kilimanjaro in pretty extreme conditions. It is not for beginners and is a hard climb even for experienced walkers. The camping, though well organised, is fairly basic. Once wet, stuff can`t really be dried, you will be cold and uncomfortable a lot of the time. You will need to be determined and resourceful. The walking itself is ok until summit day but gets harder as the oxygen levels drop. This trip gives you an extra day to acclimatise and no one in our group had serious altitude sickness beyond breathing difficulties. You just have to do everything very slowly indeed, even standing up!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The walk takes you through rainforest then alpine terrain followed by bare scree. There was plenty of wildlife to spot in the rainforest: monkeys, birds, rodents and we saw jackal spoor but not the jackals themselves. For the three middle days we were in thick mist and saw very little but once we got above the clouds the view was spectacular and worth all the effort. Only then did we get an impression of the sheer mass of the mountain.
If you`re interested in doing this, it is well worthwhile but you do need to be fairly fit and active, and some walking experience will help.

Do you like pina coladas and walks in the rain?

Very challenging but ultimately rewarding trip. Camping is a pain in the neck after a while. Prepare to be dirty, cold and generally uncomfortable for the whole trip, I think this got to me more than the walking. I believe Kili is quite scenic but it was misty for us most of the time and I could have been at home in Scotland out a damp hillwalk.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Getting to Uhuru peak after a 7.5 hour slog up the scree with hilariously low oxygen saturations. Going a bit mental on the top and having fabulous 'runner's high' type thing going on on the way back to Stella. Wish I could have bottled that. Hypoxia can be fun! Relaxing on Zanzibar afterwards wasn't too shabby.

What did you think of your group leader?

Abraham was a great guy and ably assisted by his team of guides. Mama Lucy helped me the most but Stratton, Hans, Angela, Innocent and Tosha were all brilliant too as were the cook and porters. I left some old equipment with them.
I was lucky to be part of a great group who really made the trip.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take it very slowly indeed, the speed seems ridiculous at first but quickly becomes a necessity. Leave your type A personality and desire to win at the door, on this trip the tortoises will get there in the best shape. There is no rush, what are you going to do with extra time in camp? We had lots of card games, hypoxia induced silliness and new sport called toss the rock.
Camping just annoyed me after a while. I had my own tent and it was well worth it just to have my own space. They are big enough but I'm not convinced that sharing with a random and 2 people's equipment is a good idea when the experience is stressful enough as it is. Snoring gets worse at altitude. Bring ear plugs. Bring LOTS of snacks. Minstrels travels especially well. Ladies, check out a She-wee and Pee-bols for night time.
Try to look after each other. Everyone will have a bad day at some point (Lava Tower for me, it can happily be erased from my memory for ever!). If you are lucky enough to be feeling well, try to divert some of your energy into helping those who are not with some daft games or a supporting arm or hug. It is much more satisfying to help others to succeed as well as yourself and to get there as a team.
A couple of folk had music on their phones, this was a great boost during hard bits although it was hard to sing along to Africa by Toto on summit night!
Try to learn some Swahili from the guides, you've got nothing better to do!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I had a fabulously relaxing 6 night stay at Fumba lodge tagged on at the end. It took a few days to recover from Kili and I can't imagine what state I'd have been in if I'd have returned to work immediately. The staff are total gems, good food and cocktails and really chilled surroundings. Moivaro coffee plantation was also lovely and I enjoyed a lovely scrub and massage when we got back. I did come out in a rash the next day so maybe avoid if you have sensitive skin! I think my skin just wasn't used to being clean anymore.

Kilimanjaro

A well organised and coordinated trip lead by the African Walking Company who displayed a high level of professionalism and made the trip an enjoyable one for all participants. The passion for the mountain which the guides demonstrated and the effort by the team as a whole for helping us achieve our personal goal of reaching the summit was evident daily and greatly apreciated.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The dedication of the guides to helping us all achieve our goal particularly during those moments when the terrain was difficult and during summit night when everyone found the going tough.

What did you think of your group leader?

Abraham did an amazing job organising a large group of people which encompassed numerous porters, guides and ourselves as clients. Although much of his work was behind the scenes when coordinating the porters he was always observed speaking with them to ensure everything worked smoothly. His manner with both clients and porters was inspirational.

Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Route

A fantastic, challenging but exhilarating experience! If you are thinking about it - do it!!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The highlight for me was the people that I spent this most amazing experience with and to have all 12 of the group reach the summit.

What did you think of your group leader?

Abraham was great, he was very informative about the trek and kept a close eye on all the group checking that no-one was suffering from Altitute sickness.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Just be prepared, make sure that you have the right gear to tackle all sorts of weather eventualities, keep fit and most of all have a "postive mental atitude".

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The African Walking Company who supported us on our trek, all the porters, tent guides, chef, assistant guides and lead guides were all brilliant and without their support, we would not have reached the summit.

Dates & Prices

An overview of flight options

Exodus is committed to making joining our tours as easy as possible, wherever you live. We generally only block book seats from London, but this certainly does not mean that you need to fly from there. Depending on the route and airlines available, there will usually be various options available for those who want to fly from their local airport.

This page aims to provide a useful overview of the options available to our clients. However, the best flight arrangements should be tailored to your personal requirements, so please contact our Sales team for expert advice.

What kind of options do I have ?

1. We can book for you: Flights from anywhere in the world - not via London

Depending on the route, this may be direct or via an overseas hub like Amsterdam, the Middle East or elsewhere. On short haul routes there may be direct flights with low cost airlines, charter flights or scheduled airlines. Exodus can book most, but not all, of these for you. The most appropriate airline may be different to that which we use for the group flight from London, but many people now travel on different airlines and meet up with their fellow passengers at the destination.

Pros

Cons

May be the most direct route

Often the extra fare compared to the London flight is minimal.

As you will be in the hands a single airline for your entire journey, the airline will be responsible for your bags and your connections.

You may not be able to join the group transfers. However, we can usually arrange private transfers, or book your flights to try and coincide with the group transfers. See notes on transfer arrangements below.

2. We can book for you: Connecting flights from your local airport to London

Exodus can book connecting flights to London so you can join the group flight there. Connecting times will be followed according to airline advice, or as requested by clients. There are two types of fares we can use for this option: a 'through-fare' or a 'published fare'.

a) A 'through-fare' is where you will be in the main airline's care throughout. You change planes, but your bags are checked all the way through to your final destination.

b) A 'published fare' ticket is completely seperate from your onward ticket from London. It is usually cheaper than a through-fare but will need to be paid for and issued as soon as it is booked. This can be a problem if your tour has not yet reached minimum numbers. On 'published fares' neither airline is aware that you have connecting flights, so Exodus is responsible for timing your connection, not the airlines involved. The tickets are also usually non changeable and non refundable.

Pros

Cons

Depending on the fare type, Exodus or the airline is responsible for flight connections.

Through fare tickets can be expensive.

On a published fare, tickets must be issued immediately; tickets on published fares can be very difficult to change if onward flight times change; bags are not checked though to your final destination.

Published fares are non-refundable.

3. Booking some or all of the flights yourself

You can also book connecting air travel yourself, either to London, or all the way to the start point. There may be certain airlines or routes we don't have access to, so this is always an option. However, if you make your own travel arrangements you become liable for any delays, cancellations or missed connections, and Exodus is not required to offer refunds if you have trouble reaching the start of your trip.

Pros

Cons

You might find cheaper fares, or routes not available to Exodus.

You are responsible for any delays or missed connections, and the cost of the tour is not protected should you miss your flight be cancelled.

Notes on transfer arrangements

Sometimes it is possible to travel on a different airline to the group flight from London. Where this is the case, we need to think about ensuring you meet up with the group with minimum extra cost and hassle.

On certain trips, it is easy to arrive on a different flight and still meet the group at the hotel with time in hand. We can usually arrange private transfers (at extra cost) or offer advice on taking a taxi to the start hotel.

On other trips (especially in Europe), the transfer meets the group flight and then travels some distance to the first night's accommodation. Where this is the case, our Sales team will try to arrange flights that arrive before (and depart after) the group. However, we do have to make it clear in your final documentation that if your flights are delayed, the transfer cannot wait for you. While Exodus or our local operators will do what we can to help you reach the start point of the tour, any additional costs must be paid by the client.